Historic place
Fukui Prefecture has many tourist spots with historic buildings and sites such as shrines, temples, castle ruins, Japanese garden, and so on. Why don't you visit these places representing the very essence of the beauty and tradition of Japan?

Heisenji Temple Hakusan Shrine

Kehi Shrine

Tsurugi Shrine

Site of Yoshizaki Gobou

Takidanji Temple

Myotsuji Temple

Heisenji Temple Hakusan Shrine

Heisenji Temple is a mountain temple located at the starting point of the trail from Fukui Prefecture side leading to a sacred mountain Mt. Hakusan (2,702m). It is said to be founded by Taicho Daishi (a high monk Taicho) in 717. It used to be a powerful religious institution supported by local Hakusan Worship from ancient times to later Middle Ages. However, the whole temple was destroyed by fire in 1574 by the attack during “Ikko ikki”, Jodo Shinshu Buddhist uprising. Despite subsequent effort of reconstruction, the temple precincts were reduced to only about one tenth of what they used to be in the peak period and many ruins of temples were buried under forests and fields. Due to the Ordinance Distinguishing Shinto and Buddhism issued at the beginning of Meiji Period, Heisenji Temple abolished its temple name and identified itself as Hakusan Shrine. The entire temple precincts before destruction by fire are designated as one of the national historic sites by the name of “Old temple grounds of Hakusan Heisenji Temple”. The whole area covering Mt. Hakusan and Heisenji Temple Hakusan Shrine precincts is designated as Hakusan National Park which is full of natural beauty. The movie “Sakura saku” (Cherry blossoms bloom. ) released in 2014 was filmed at this temple precincts.

Address:

Heisenji, Heisenji-cho, Katsuyama City

Opening hours:

Anytime

Closed day:

Open 7 days a week

Location:

Take a community bus bound for Ohyadani via Heisenji at Echizen Railway Katsuyama Station. After 15-minute bus ride, get off at Heisenji Hakusanjinja mae and walk 4 minutes. / 50-minute drive from Hokuriku Expressway Fukui Kita IC or Maruoka IC

Kehi Shrine

Kehi Shrine, which worships Emperor Chuai and six gods, is an old shrine called “the greatest shrine in Echizen area” or “the central place to pray for local gods along the highway through Hokuriku region”. The huge shrine gate, which is said to have been made of a temple juniper tree washed ashore from Sado Island, is designated by the government as an important cultural property. Along with Itsukushima Shrine in Hiroshima Prefecture and Kasuga Taisha Shrine in Nara Prefecture, it is ranked as one of the three major wooden shrines in Japan.

Address:

11-68 Akebono-cho, Tsuruga City

Opening hours:

6 am to 5 pm

Closed day:

Open 7 days a week

Location:

Take a community bus “Matsubara Line” at JR Tsuruga Station and get off at“Kehi jingu”. / Take a “Gurutto Tsuruga shuyu bus” at JR Tsuruga Station. Get off at “Kehi jingo mae”. / About 10-minute drive from Hokuriku Expressway Tsuruga IC

Tsurugi Shrine

Tsurugi Shrine has 1,800 years of long history and it is known as the shrine visited by many worshippers on New Year’s Day every year. Ancestors of Nobunaga Oda, a famous military commander of the Sengogu (Warring States) Period, are said to have been Shinto priests of this shrine and named themselves “Oda” taking the name of their birthplace. The main shrine is designated by Fukui Prefecture as a cultural property and the shrine bell as a national treasure. Besides these, “Myoujin bayashi”, performance by Japanese drums dedicated to the shrine every fall, is designated by Fukui Prefecture as one of the intangible folk cultural assets.

Address:

Ota, Echizen-cho

Location:

Take a Fukutetsu bus bound for Echizen Coast (via Ota) at JR Takefu Station. Get off at “Myoujin mae”. / 30-minute drive from Hokuriku Expressway Takefu or Sabae IC

Site of Yoshizaki Gobou

Site of Yoshizaki Gobou is where Rennyo Shonin, the renowned restorer of Jodo Shinshu Sect, chose as the base for his missionary work in Hokuriku region after he was forced to leave Mt. Hiei in Kyoto. Even now the area around Yoshizaki Gobou is called “Rennyo no sato”, “spiritual home of Rennyo”, visited constantly by many worshippers nationwide all year round. “Rennyoki”, “Rennyo Shonin’s annual memorial service”, is held splendidly every April and attracts huge number of worshippers and visitors as the greatest traditional event in Yoshizaki area. Site of Yoshizaki Gobou, along with 500 years of its religious tradition, is designated as a national historic landmark.

Takidanji Temple

Takidanji Temple is the oldest temple in Mikuni-cho built in 1375 at the end of the Period of the Northern and Southern Dynasties. Both sides of the stone-paved approach to the temple are thickly covered with old trees, giving us tasteful atmosphere. The Japanese garden inside the temple was designated in 1929 as one of the Japanese gardens with scenic beauty by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. It was the first designation of scenic beauty in Fukui Prefecture. Inside the precincts are many precious constructions such as Chinju-do (a guardian god hall), Kan-non-do (a temple dedicated to Kan-non), Kaizan-do (a temple hall commemorating its founder), and so forth. The treasure hall preserves national treasures and important cultural properties.

Myotsuji Temple

Surrounded by thick Japanese cedar trees, Myotsuji Temple stands in state, quietly catching sunlight filtering through trees. It consists of main temple building and a three-storied pagoda, both of which are designated as national treasures. It is located in the deep valley in the upper stream of the Matsunaga River where you can hear the refreshingly cool sound kajika frogs make in summer. It is five kilometers away from JR Higashi Obama Station. Four Buddha images made in Fujiwara Period are designated as important cultural properties.